Hello all
Woke this morning to the parcel contractor dropping off a delivery from HLJ. Upon opening the box, I was excited to see it was the Takom Chieftain. This is the first Takom kit I have bought & I am very impressed. Nice big sturdy box to protect everything. Colour plates for each of the vehicles. The detail on the parts is simply gobsmacking. Going to really enjoy putting this bad boy together as a Berlin Bde beast. Amazing how far this hobby has come from even a few years ago in terms of moulding technology.
Anyhoo, a couple of questions...the colour plate says to paint the running gear & engine access panels in Mig's version of Deep Bronze Green. Reading older postings on here mentions these areas were gloss or semi-gloss black. Thoughts on this...
Also the red/white hazard markers on the rear body. Are they both meant to be 45deg top right to bottom left or were they handed? And I thought I saw somewhere they should be red/yellow?

Hi!

All the vehicles that I saw and photographed from the sides (and during parades I saw a lot!) had the running gear painted semi gloss black. The engine access panels on the vehicles I climbed onto ( 3-4 vehicles) were in the brown colour. However coming to these access doors, some others stated that other colour is possible. Try to get hands on a copy of Tankograd 9001 Berlin Infantry Brigade, unfortunately it is sold out, but appears from time to time as used book.

The hazard warning plates are wrong. The british forces used them in yellow/red colour. The red/white version is German, but was not used by the British. However when such plates are used in Germany, the stripes always point out like that:

/// vehicle \

Andreas

Excellent. Thanks Andreas.
So to clarify...the red/white/red hazard plates for vehicles in Berlin are correct as well as both plates being top-right to bottom-left?

Hi Shaun,

no! The red/white is used by the German army (and also on oversized civilian vehicles). The British army in Germany as well as elsewhere uses yellow/red.

The plates are not correct either. You do have 2 plates for the left vehicle rear. Since these are not square but rectangular, you can´t turn them through 90 degrees. The right plate should be miirored. Leave them off! I never saw Chieftains in Berlin with warning plates. Will not say it never happened, at least I did not see it.

If you want plates, Accurate Armour does them (DE09)! Any they have correct right and left ones.

Andreas

Gotcha. I completely understand now.

Thanks again Andreas

Hi Shaun,

If you go to this link it has an overhead view of a Berlin Brigade Chieftain about half way down. As you can see the engine and transmission decks are painted brown. It looks like the same brown used in the camo scheme. Also there are no hazard signs on the rear of the vehicle. If they were present they would be on the rear stowage bins like the ones on the pictures further up the page.

Max

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/119731#986457

The marking issue sounds like a great opportunity for Lawrence from Echelon Fine Details to create the ultimate Chieftain decal set.

I looked through the Tankograd British Infantry Brigade Berlin book and I can't find a single image of a Berlin Brigade Chieftain with the hazard warning plates on the rear hull.

It might be just as well to leave them off.

I would say so. Never saw them in four years of being in Berlin.

Thanks a heap for all the extra replies lads. Much appreciated

see

http://theneverendingleadpile.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/british-infantry-brigade-berlin.html

Hi,
the wrong warning plates are not the only issue with the decal sheet regarding Berlin. The typical sign of the british Berlin forces is missing too. This one was present on (nearly) all british vehicles in Berlin. Also, the black call sign -without digits- for the squadron is missing, and usually the British forces repeat the call sign on a white square used as a convoy sign (missing too). When on exercise in West Germany, the Berlin vehicles also used call signs with digits (white on grey plate or black on yellow plate) at the rear of the turret (also missing).

Andreas

Thanks for the additional info on the markings Andreas.

I can see the issue with the call signs being an oversight or omission but a significant marking such as the Berlin Brigade symbol being absent is a head scratcher.

Even more reason for Lawrence Goh at Echelon Fine Details to create a Chieftain decal set.

Lawrence is aware of the Takom decal errors but he needs people to step up and provide him good accurate images of the markings...BAOR, BATUS, Berlin Brigade, etc...

Rear warning panel. Images here

http://www.armorama.co.uk/forums/119731

I am wondering since that is a museum display Chieftain, at the Imperial War Museum in the UK I believe, that it was a BAOR based Chieftain painted in the Berlin Brigade scheme and not totally accurate. It looks like it is missing the Berlin Brigade symbol as well.

I don't recall what scheme it had when it arrived but I think it was repainted a few years ago by the museum, so I wouldn't rely on it 100%. Vehicles parked outside degrade so periodic repainting is necessary; depending on time available and damage, it may be stripped or retouched, so no guarantee that the pattern will match. The originals all had the same pattern so contemporary photos are the best starting point. Isn't there a book by Andreas about the Brigade? The AA kit also has scheme drawings. I have no info on how accurate the info in the Takom kit is but as the roadwheel colour specified is wrong I'd proceed with caution.

Thanks Robert. Yeah the colour call-outs were the first red-flag for me as my foggy Mk1 brain didn't recall seeing any previous info suggesting DBG for the engine deck. And I was in 2 minds about the same colour for the running gear...